Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to snap connectors for use at the ends of rope, cable, chain, or other lines and more particularly to spring latched snap connectors wherein the latching mechanism is locked against inadvertent release.
There is a great variety of available spring biased snaps for connecting lines to receiving rings or other lines or other fasteners. In particular, where attachment to a drop line or anchorage line with a connecting line or lanyard is important in for example, personal fall protection equipment, it is desirable to have a snap connector which is capable of easy actuation for engagement and disengagement while providing a secure latching and locking function. This is necessary to prevent inadvertent actuation of the latch and possible disengagement from whatever support to which the snap has been attached. Conventional snaps have typically used latches which are spring biased in the latched position with an inverted U-shaped latching member or gate that is pivoted at one end about a pin or axis received through the forged body of the snap and is urged by arcuate movement into latched engagement by a spring bearing on the body of the snap and the top of the inside of the U-shaped member. The physical shape of the tip or nose of the hook body engaging the tongue of the U-shaped member and the member itself are generally preselected to cooperate with each other to prevent lateral forces from disengaging the gate from the latched condition. Such devices have generally been used with great success, however some conditions are encountered in use where the spring biased member or gate can be inadvertently depressed so as to disengage the aforementioned interlocking relationship and even depress the spring biased latching member sufficiently to permit the line or fastener to which the snap is attached to slip free from the snap under some circumstances. This can defeat the latching function of the snap and produce undesirable results depending on the application of use.
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide a snap with a latching and locking mechanism that combines the spring biased latching function of the previously employed U-shaped member with an additional positive locking mechanism that avoids the problems of inadvertent actuation of the spring biased latching mechanism previously widely used.
In addition it is an objective of the present invention to provide a U-shaped spring biased latching member that in concert with the additional locking mechanism provides the desirable feature of one-handed operation, with either thumb or finger actuation.